Suuuuuure! 100%...... Will you be my mentor. I would say I am about 90%. Maybe the flashy car is killing me, 1 out of every 10 maybe it is my spelling, who knows?? Well atlease I get to play with nice cars while I lose commissions.

If you deal with a wide range of price drive the car that fits the neighborhood the client is looking to buy in. One very good agency here has a pair of high end cars from the owner the agents can use if they need to show something upscale. Otherwise the jeep/honda suv is pretty common for the average home showing here.

I like elements...in a water heater or a furnace!

Au is preferred. But Ag also works well for me. I'll also take Cu or Ni. H is good too, but I prefer a double. With an O backer.

Fe is important.

Hi, im new here, 1st post too. Please dont hate me and or judge me by this dumb imo 1st post :)

IMO vehicle matters. (most)Vendors are placing alot of trust in our hands and they want to feel good about their decisions as well. They can feel your confidence and charisma by the way you dress, speak and what you drive.
Having a better than average vehicle mentally speaks words.
Wearing a timex or an omega....same thing

Theres nothing wrong with driving a truck and helping your clients move and haul junk to the landfill, but it shows your level is closer to theirs, some vendors will like this as they have more in common with you, but imo again, we are professionals and nice material possessions come from making money and doing alot of deals.........and of course...time = money.....if im out helping a client do joe boy work....whos answering the phones, marketing and showing their house?

Honestly though, I dont even pay attention if anyone notices my vehicle or watches becaue its how I always dress.......for success

Once again, this was just my dumb opinion please dont have a bad 1st impression of me :P

I have to take exception to this. Nice material possessions can come from another source and often they do, it's called credit. Many people live above their means and Realtors are some of the worst at this. The short sale clients I work with are guilty of it as well. A Timex or an Omega can just as easily be put on Chase as a mortgage. The only difference is they don't foreclose on your Timex.

As far as marketing is concerned? Outsource. Answering phones? Outsource. Showing their home? Schedule it. Not everytime I'm helping a client did I have a conflict where I needed to show a home.

I guess some of the people who believe in the theory of having a nice vehicle would like to take a shortcut to the image
[quote=R. Danneskjold][quote]
but imo again, we are professionals and nice material possessions come from making money and doing alot of deals
[/quote]

As far as marketing is concerned? Outsource. Answering phones? Outsource. Showing their home? Schedule it. Not everytime I'm helping a client did I have a conflict where I needed to show a home.
[/quote]

This is a good topic and I have 2 sides of this to speak from. I used to drive a 2004 Ford F-250 Diesel Extended Cab Long Bed FX4 - bought it brand new with all the bells and whistles (won't ever do that again!). Wasn't doing real estate at the time, so I didn't buy it with that in mind. However, I did get back into real estate after I bought it, and I have to say that I got a lot of comments on it. Not always good. I'm not a "red neck", in fact I'm 5'4" and petite. This was always a problem for me gaining credibity with the client of higher-end properties, unless I was dealing with clients out in the country, and then I looked like I fit right in. It was also a problem for me getting older folks in and out of the thing because it sat so high. I traded that in back in 2008 for a 2002 Lexus LS430 with 65K miles on it, for less than 1/3 of what they run new. Can't see myself spending that kind of money on a new one when I have a great dealer in my area that sells stuff like this all the time - I can even put in an order for what I want and they'll hunt it down for me if I can't find it on my own. That was the best move I've made as far as real estate is concerned. I have no problem fitting into the most expensive neighborhoods, or the less expensive ones. The clients appreciate the fact that it's not brand new (although I've had clients tell me they thought it was new because it has been so well cared for). It's comfortable and the older folks have no problem getting in and out of it. Some folks look at it and tell me I must be doing really well to have that car - usually the ones that can't ever imagine themselves having one (I'm not a snob or an elitist by any stretch of the imagination because I come from humble beginnings, just saying it like I've experienced it). Anyway, I don't think you have to drive the most expensive thing out there, but what you drive can definately have an impact on your image. Been then, experienced that. As to your question about spending money when the vehicle you have serves the purpose - in this day and age, with the economy as uncertain as it seems to be, I'd maintain what I have even if I had to spend a little money on it. You never know when that extra 8-10K might come in handy. Makes better fiscal sense imho. :)

I drive a Honda Odyssey Van. I love it! Clients have their own door, window, cupholder you name it.

One solution, is to buy yourself a "future classic" - a something that shows you appreciate classic vehicles, yet they can be very affordable to buy and don't tend to depreciate much.

Examples such as muscle cars from the 60s and 70s, or many Benz or Jaguar models from the 80s or 90s certainly fall into this category.

You become a "collector" not a skint agent!

In this business image is very important and part of that image is the car you drive.

Just bought A New Car, a brand new Ford Flex! I hate spending money on a new car, since I know that it's not a good investment. However, it's also always very exciting to get a new car!

One of the great things about being in Real Estate is knowing that I'll be able to write off a good portion of the cost!

I'm hoping to get a Honda Fit in a couple years. My Honda is good for at least another 100,000 or more miles. It may outlive me! LOL

I'd buy another Civic if I didnt have the crazy yellow lab...but he needs to go to VT though! CRV! Once the wheels fall off my current civic or sonny gets his act together and gets it...its a race!